(recommended by Laurie Porter) ‘Ward 6’ by Anton Chekhov This tiny story is a master of compression. Munro)Ī deceptively quiet little Edwardian tale…(recommended by Julie Duffy) ‘The Hour’ by Kate ChopinĪnother classic that is often recommended as a model (recommended by Laurie Porter) ‘The Lottery’ by Shirley JacksonĪ dark tale by a master of horror. (recommended by Julie Duffy) Classic Stories ‘ A Good Man Is Hard To Find’ by Flannery O’ConnorĬonsidered by many to be the perfect short story, it’ll certainly keep you hooked (Recommended by Michele Reisinger and Laurie Porter) ‘ The Open Window’ by Saki (H. Louis by Annalee Newitzīecause this was delightful and uplifting (and often short stories, um, aren’t.

(recommended by Julie Duffy) When Robot and Crow Saved East St. From the title to the journal entries, to the ending, I loved everything about this story. It’s no secret around here that I love an epistolary story and I like a sense of humor. A great example of why you don’t need readers to love your protagonist immediately. This is one side of a police incident-report questionnaire, but you’ll find the story in there! ‘ Bullet In the Brain’ by Tobias WolffĪ story that evokes emotions you might not be expecting. (Recommended by Michele Reisinger and Julie Duffy) ‘ No More Words’ by Karl Foulk JrĪ 55 word story that shows what can be done in a very short space (Recommended by Jeffrey Lai) ‘ They’re Made of Meat’ by Terry BissonĪ great example of what you can do with only dialogue (recommended by Julie Duffy) ‘Orange’ by Neil GaimanĪnother example of how short stories don’t have to be like mini-novels. This award winning story is a great example of how and why short stories deserve to be read. (Recommended by Michele Reisinger) ‘ Joan of Arc Sits Naked in her Dorm Room’ by Rachel Engleman This became the title story of her second collection. Karen Russell is a modern master of the short story form and often includes magical realism elements in her stories.

(Recommended by Janine Griffin) ‘ Vampires In The Lemon Grove’ by Karen Russell This made it so real… (Recomended by Julie Duffy) ‘The Butterfly Girl’ by Mary OvertonĪ short story that touches on three different moments in a life, and helps you inhabit them. It’s a slow burn of a story about events I remember but didn’t really know anything about. I read this story a few years ago and it stuck with me. Modern Stories ‘ The Zero Meter Diving Team’ by Jim Shepard

Fun stories to write about